Firefighters report only one injury, extensive damage to homes from 2-alarm fire in Newport

A two-alarm fire in Newport left one man in the hospital with burn injuries, rendered two homes uninhabitable and damaged over a dozen others early Tuesday, fire officials said.

The Newport Fire Company was dispatched to 427 Mulberry Street at 4:28 a.m. and arrived within minutes to find the house fully involved, according to Chief Steve Flickinger. Flames also quickly moved into the next row home at 429 Mulberry before the blaze was halted, he said.

"Because it was fully involved when we arrived our main purpose was protecting the row houses going up the street and we did stop it at the second home," Flickinger said.

By the time crews brought the fire under control several hours later, the 427 Mulberry had burned to the ground and 429 Mulberry was only partially standing, Flickinger said.

A man who lived in 427 Mulberry suffered burn injuries and was immediately transported to the Penn State Hershey Medical Center, Flickinger added.

The chief was not positive what the extent of the man's injuries were as of 8:50 a.m., but he was later transferred to the Lehigh Valley Hospital for continued treatment.

Red Cross was at the scene and is providing assistance to both the injured man and a woman who also lived in 427 Mulberry, as well as another family displaced from the house next door, Flickinger said.

Damage was also reported — mostly to exterior aluminum siding and windows — to a dozen other homes on either side of the street in the block where the fire began. At least seven vehicles in the street also sustained heat damage, Flickinger added.

Flickinger was unable to provide a total damage estimate for the fire as of Tuesday morning.

Fire marshals from the Pennsylvania State Police were still arriving at the scene as of 9 a.m. to attempt to determine what caused the fire.

"We don't have any idea right now," Flickinger said. "It was fully involved when we got the call and our station is right down the street."

The blaze also knocked out power to much of the town, but PPL and other utility crews quickly restored most of the town as of 9 a.m., Flickinger said. A few homes remained without power in the 400 block of Mulberry, he added.

Phone lines were also burned in the fire and service to many sections of the town had yet to be restored as of 9 a.m., Flickinger said.

Fire crews from companies in New Bloomfield and Millerstown assisted in putting out the fire, which was reported out at about 7:30 a.m., Flickinger said.

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